Extrusion coating processes may be used to coat molten material on a base tube using an extruder with a die. For example, extrusion coating may be used to coat a plastic material on the surface of a base tube to form an outer layer or jacket on the base tube. When forming hollow coated tubes, a hollow base tube is often provided with a reinforcing core that provides support to the hollow base tube during the extrusion process and which can be subsequently removed from the coated hollow tube. For example, the high pressures and temperatures used in a coating process can render base tubes, and especially hollow base tubes, more susceptible to undesirable collapsing and stretching under processing conditions. Generally, coated tubes benefit from good bonding of the coated, or extruded layer to the base tube. The reinforcing core is intended to facilitate good bonding by reducing the occurrence of undesirable stretching and/or base tube collapse, for example.